The Hungry Eagle

John Kirkwood was the father in law of Sarah Ann Reed, the niece of Susan Reed, wife of James Harman. While checking his rabbit traps, John found a large eagle caught in a trap. He took the bird to the Hamilton home of Robert Stapylton Bree on North Boundary road. Bree chained the raptor in the garden to keep other birds away but he got more than he bargained for with the bird’s voracious appetite.

Dozens of articles about eagles and hawks caught in rabbit traps abound found at Trove. Some eagles still flew with the traps attached and one poor bird was reported with a trap attached for months.

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On sad note, 10 years on, in 1902, John Kirkwood succumbed to influenza. His obituary appeared in The Horsham Times of October 28, 1902. John had died in the Hamilton Hospital on Wednesday October 22. On October 31, 1902, the obituary of John’s daughter, 20-year-old Mary Agnes Kirkwood. She had passed away on October 26.

A search of Trove found that in 1902 there were reports of an influenza epidemic. The Horsham Times reported many cases in the Wimmera area. Such was the outbreak, it had an effect on The Horsham Times.